Exhibition portable tent

ABSTRACT

A tent of the umbrella type, designed to be quickly erected or knocked down by a small crew working primarily at ground level. A collar is pivotally connectable, at or near ground level, to a series of radial beams. The beams pivot on uprights so that when the collar is moved upwardly along a standard or center pole, as for example, by a winch operated by a crewman on the ground, the beams rock on the uprights and are elevated to inclined canopysupporting positions.

United States Patent Anthony L. Ross 514 Taylor St., Riverside, NJ. 08075 App]. No. 40,856

Filed May 27, I970 Patented Dec. 14, 1971 inventor EXHIBITION PORTABLE TENT 9Claims, 12 Drawing Figs.

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Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1908 Swanwick 135/2 X 1,204,616 11/1916 Upton 135/2X 1,219,905 3/1917 Barringer 135/2 1,449,894 3/1923 Dial 135/2 2,530,765 11/1950 Greenup 135/2 X Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Attorney-Sperry and Zoda ABSTRACT: A tent of the umbrella type, designed to be quickly erected or knocked down by a small crew working primarily at ground level. A collar is pivotally connectable, at or near ground level, to a series of radial beams. The beams pivot on uprights so that when the collar is moved upwardly along a standard or center pole, as for example, by a winch operated by a crewman on the ground, the beams rock on the uprights and are elevated to inclined canopy-supporting positlons.

PATENTEB DEC 1 4 am SHEET 1 OF 2 ATT'QNING EXHIBITION PORTABLE TENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention pertains to the tent art. In a more particular sense, the invention pertains to a tent of the umbrella type having a quickly erectable frame structure capable, also, of being swiftly knocked down for transportation or storage.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art includes umbrella type tents the exterior appearance of which is generally similar to that of the tent comprising the present invention. However, in the prior art as known to me, the erection of the tent has involved an excessive number of man hours, by reason of relatively complex frame constructions. In many instances, further, it has been necessary for crewmen to work above the ground. This is obviously undesirable, in that it promotes accidents, and adds to labor costs.

Further, in tents of the type designed to be speedily raised or knocked down, the prior art has incorporated ropes or other flexible members for the purpose of supporting the canopy, a feature of conventional tent construction that leaves something to be desired. In such an arrangement, the tent is particularly vulnerable to high winds, and in many instances tents have collapsed upon large gatherings of people, often with the result that many have been killed or seriously injured. Even in instances in which the tent is designed to withstand great external forces such as high winds, the visible effects of said forces upon the tent structure have tended to frighten those within the tent, so that panic may be threatened or actually occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Summarized briefly, the invention incorporates a frame composed wholly of rigid frame members. In a typical embodiment, the tent is generally circular, including a center pole or standard on which upper and lower collars are slidably mounted. Beams radiating from the standard are pivotally connected to the upper collar at their inner ends, and rock intermediate their ends on uprights spaced radially from the center pole. When the upper collar is slidably adjusted upwardly along the standard, the beams rock to operative positions in which they are inclined from the periphery of the tent to the center pole. The lower collar is pivotally connected to braces, joined pivotally at their outer ends to the respective beams. Cross braces extend between the uprights, and at the outer ends of the beams peripheral frame members are secured. The tent canopy overlies the resulting frame, having been positioned over the beams before the beams were elevated, and being effectively supported to assure a stable, efficiently drained structure capable of withstanding high external forces without being visibly affected thereby.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is a top plan view ofa tent constructed according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the tent structure with the canopy removed, substantially on line 22 of FIG. I on an enlarged scale, the dotted lines showing the upper collar and beams prior to elevation of the beams to their use positions shown in full lines;

FIG. 3 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary, detail side elevational view showing the connection between the radial braces and beams;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view on the same scale as FIG. 3, showing the lower collar and the connection thereof to the radial braces;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view on the same scale as FIG. 3, showing the connection between one of the radial beams and the peripheral frame members;

FIG. 6 is a view on the same scale as FIG. 3, showing in side elevation the connection between the radial beams and upper collar;

FIGS. 7-10 perspective views on a reduced scale showing the tent as seen from above, in progressive stages of erection;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view of the lower ring as seen from 1 1-1 I ofFIG. 4; and

FIG. 12 is a view of the upper ring as seen from line l2-l2 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The tent 10 comprising the present invention includes a frame and canopy generally designated 12 and 14 respectively. Referring to FIG. 2, a tubular socket l6 rigid with a baseplate 18 receives a standard or center pole 20 in the lower end of which is provided in winch 22. Mounted on the upper end of standard 20 are sheaves 24 about which are trained cables 26 wound about and extending upwardly from the winch within the tubular center pole, and connected to an upper collar assembly generally designated 28, for the purpose of slidably adjusting the collar assembly upwardly along standard 20 from a lower inoperative position to an upper, use position shown in clotted and full lines respectively in FIG. 2.

Collar assembly 28 (FIGS. 6 and 12) includes a sleeve 30 slidable on standard 20, and held against rotation in respect to the standard through the provision of a guide channel 32 on the sleeve receiving a longitudinal guide rod 34 fixedly secured to the exterior of and extending the full length of standard 20.

Fixedly secured to and extending continuously about sleeve 30 is a frustoconical skirt 36 spaced downwardly from a horizontal ring 38 having uniformly, angularly spaced apertures 40, and fixedly secured to and extending continuously about the upper portion of the sleeve.

1 provide a series of elongated, radial beams 42, to the inner ends of which are secured inverted .I-shaped hooks 44 the distal ends of which constitute pins 46 extending downwardly into and loosely engaged in apertures 40. In the elevated position of the collar assembly, bottom surfaces 48 of the beams lie flat against and are supported upon skirt 36 (See FIG. 6).

Spaced radially from standard 20 are uprights 50 the lower ends of which seat in tubular bases 52 having vertically spaced openings 54 any of which may receive a pin or pins 56 extending into registering openings of the uprights to mount the uprights in selected positions of vertical adjustment within the bases.

The upper ends of the uprights are pivotally connected at 58 to beams 42 inwardly from the outer ends of the beams.

Between the uprights and their inner ends, beams 42 are provided with brackets 60 affixed to the beams and pivotally connected at 62 to the outer ends of braces 64 disposed radially of and declining toward standard 20. At their inner ends, braces 64 have slots 66 apertured to receive pins 68 extending also through uniformly angularly spaced apertures 70 (FIG. 11) formed in a circumferential flange 72 fixedly secured to a tubular member 74 that constitutes, with flange 72, a lower collar assembly generally designated 76.

Extending horizontally between adjacent uprights 50 are cross braces 78, detachably secured to the uprights, and extending (FIG. 1) as a continuous series concentric with standard 20. ()Utwardly from cross braces 78, peripheral frame members are horizontally disposed in parallel relation to the corresponding cross braces, and are detachably connected between adjacent radial beams 42 through the provision of angular brackets 82 secured to the outer ends of the radial beams.

The canopy 14 has been omitted in FIGS. 7-10. It will be understood, however, that with the canopy overlying frame 12, initially collars 28, 76 are fitted onto the lower end of standard 20. The standard is then seated in socket I6. With collar assembly 28 lowered, beams 42 are hooked onto ring 38, and extend radially in their lower, inoperative positions.

At this initial stage of erection of the tent, the parts appear as in FIG. 7. Referring now to FIG. 8, the outer ends of the beams are swung upwardly, and the beams are pivotally connected to uprights 50 which will have previously been adjustably mounted in bases 52. The beams now appear as in FIG. 8 or as in the dotted line showing of FIG. 2.

Winch 22 is then operated to slidably move collar assembly upwardly along standard 20 from its dotted line FIG. 2 position to its full line position. Beams 42 rock about their pivotal connections 58 during this step, and uprights 50 may temporarily rock outwardly until eventually collar assembly 28 reaches its uppermost position, at which time the uprights 50 will be in vertical positions again and beams 42 will decline radially outwardly from the elevated collar assembly 28, with bottom surfaces 48 lying flat against skirt 36 to lock the inner ends of the beams between the skirt and the ring 38.

With the collar assembly and beams now raised as in FIG. 9, cross braces 78 are connected between the several beams, after which (FIG. 10) frame members 80 are similarly connected between the outer ends of the beams.

The construction facilitates swift erection of a tent frame that is composed wholly of rigid members, being devoid of ropes, guy wires, anchoring stakes, or the like as heretofore required. A relatively few crewmen can swiftly erect a large tent, working entirely at ground level, and with equal speed can lower and dismantle the tent for transportation to a new location.

Of importance is the fact that despite the ease with which the tent may be erected or collapsed, it is of strong, extremely durable characteristics. A frame constructed as illustrated has unusually high resistance to external forces, and in effect provides a rigid framework, comparable to that of a permanent building structure, and yet fabricated of relatively inexpensive components, quickly connectable to and detachable from one another as well as being capable of transportation in a relatively compact form.

It is to be further noted that the tent according to the present invention is illustrated by way of example as a generally circular structure with a single center pole. It is believed sufficiently obvious as not to require special illustration that the tent could be of oval or elongated form when viewed in top plan, having two or more center poles connectable to one another by one or more horizontally extending connecting bars, with each center pole being provided with series of radial beams as in the illustrated example of the invention.

I claim:

1. A quickly erectable tent of the umbrella type comprising:

a. a standard;

b. collar means slidably mounted thereon;

c. a series of uprights radially spaced from said standard;

d. a series of beams radiating from said standard, each of said beams being detachably pivotally connected, at locations spaced longitudinally thereof, to said collar means and one of said uprights, whereby to elevate said beams to a canopy-supporting position responsive to slidable adjustment of said collar means upwardly along said standard; and

e. a canopy supported upon said beams.

2. A tent as in claim 1 wherein the connection of each beam to said collar means is at one end of the beam.

3. A tent as in claim 2 wherein the connection of each beamto its associated upright is disposed intermediate the ends of the beam.

4. A tent as in claim 3, further including second collar means slidable on the standard below the first collar means for adjustment upwardly along the standard between an inoperative lower position and a raised operative position, and braces radiating from the second collar means and detachably connected between the second collar means in the operative position thereof and the respective, elevated beams.

5. A tent as in claim 3 further including a series of cross braces each of which is connected between adjacent uprights.

6. A tent as in claim 3 further including a series of peripheral frame members each of which is connected between adjacent beams at the other ends of the beams.

7. A tent as in claim 1 wherein the collar includes a sleeve slidable on the standard, an aperture ring extending about said sleeve, each beam including a connecting pin loosely removably positioned through an aperture of the ring, and a frustoconical skirt secured to the sleeve below the ring in supporting relation to the beams in the elevated positions of the beams.

8. A tent as in claim 7 wherein the pin of each beam comprises the distal end of an inverted J-shaped hook element secured to the beam.

9. A tent as in claim 4 wherein the second collar means includes a tubular member slidable on the standard, an apertured flange secured to said member, said braces having slotted apertured ends receiving said flange, and connecting pin elements detachably extending through the apertures of the slotted ends and said flange to connect the braces to the flange. 

1. A quickly erectable tent of the umbrella type comprising: a. a standard; b. collar means slidably mounted thereon; c. a series of uprights radially spaced from said standard; d. a series of beams radiating from said standard, each of said beams being detachably pivotally connected, at locations spaced longitudinally thereof, to said collar means and one of said uprights, whereby to elevate said beams to a canopy-supporting position responsive to slidable adjustment of said collar means upwardly along said standard; and e. a canopy supported upon said beams.
 2. A tent as in claim 1 wherein the connection of each beam to said collar means is at one end of the beam.
 3. A tent as in claim 2 wherein the connection of each beam to its associated upright is disPosed intermediate the ends of the beam.
 4. A tent as in claim 3, further including second collar means slidable on the standard below the first collar means for adjustment upwardly along the standard between an inoperative lower position and a raised operative position, and braces radiating from the second collar means and detachably connected between the second collar means in the operative position thereof and the respective, elevated beams.
 5. A tent as in claim 3 further including a series of cross braces each of which is connected between adjacent uprights.
 6. A tent as in claim 3 further including a series of peripheral frame members each of which is connected between adjacent beams at the other ends of the beams.
 7. A tent as in claim 1 wherein the collar includes a sleeve slidable on the standard, an aperture ring extending about said sleeve, each beam including a connecting pin loosely removably positioned through an aperture of the ring, and a frustoconical skirt secured to the sleeve below the ring in supporting relation to the beams in the elevated positions of the beams.
 8. A tent as in claim 7 wherein the pin of each beam comprises the distal end of an inverted J-shaped hook element secured to the beam.
 9. A tent as in claim 4 wherein the second collar means includes a tubular member slidable on the standard, an apertured flange secured to said member, said braces having slotted apertured ends receiving said flange, and connecting pin elements detachably extending through the apertures of the slotted ends and said flange to connect the braces to the flange. 